Dental tray



w. N. KIDDER. DENTAL TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4. 1921.

1 $102,39 I Patented Jan..3,1922.

I db NK 22 Elmo/who;

" tree PATN FFEQ.

WILLIAM N. KIDDER, OFCRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND.

DENTAL TRAY.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM N. KIDDER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at city of Cranston, in thecounty of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certainnew and useful Improve ments in Dental Trays, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in dental impression trays, moreparticularly to that type of tray which is adapted tobe filled withimpression material such as plaster of Paris or other suitable moldingcompound for the purpose of taking an impression of one or more teeth inthe mouth of the patient; and the object of the invention is to formsuch a dental molding tray of two or more sections; means also beingprovided for binding said sections together and holding them inalignment with each other.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable handleconnected to said tray, which may be moved into different positionsrelative to the tray, whereby the tray may be used on the front oreither side of either the upper or lower jaws, the handle also servingto bind the tray halves together.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will bemore fullydescribed, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a top view showing my improvedtray witha handle member attached thereto securing the tray halvestogether. *Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Figure 1, showing thecleavage-controlling ribs and the hub halves onto which the handle isclamped.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing one of the pairsof dowel pins for holding the tray halves in alignment.

Figure 4: is a central transverse section through the tray, showing theimpression of a tooth as having been taken in the impression materialwith which the tray is filled, and showing the halves as having beenseparated and the mold as having been split along the line of thecleavage-controllin ribs.

igure 5 is a perspective view of one of the halves, showing sections ofthe cleavage Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 3, 1922.

1921. Serial no. 466,753.

.flange as turned down to form aligmng 'dowel pins; also showing acentering lug on the half of the attaching hub.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the two halves of the tray assembled withthe handle removed.

Figure 7 is a central elevation on line 7-7 of Figure 6, showing one ofthe aligning spurs or dowels on one half as entering the stock on theother half of the tray.

Figure 8 is a'section on line 8-8 of F ig ure 6, showing the spur on onehalf of the hub as entering the corresponding socket in the other halfof the hub for the purpose of aligning or centering the parts.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the tray showing the handle member asengaging and looked upon the hub, binding the halves together.

Figure 10 is a detail view of the binding handle member.

It is found in practice owing to the required curvature of the tray inorder to conform somewhat to the curvature of the jaw of the patient,that the handle must be adapted to be moved to extend from either endthereof in order to be able to use the tray on either side of the jaw.Then again when it is desired to use the tray to take an impression ofthe front portion of the jaw it is necessary that the handle shouldextend straight forward or at right angles to the side walls of thetray; and the following is a detailed description of one means by whichthis and other important results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawing, 10 designates the two halves of myimproved tray, which may be made of any suitable material, preferably ofmetal, each half being provided with an outer, relatively-high, sidewall 11 and an inner longitudinally-disposed, thin rib 12 extendingalong the line of separation 18 between the halves.

These ribs are for the purpose of entering the molding material andcontrolling the line of cleavage through the mold when the halves areseparated, as best illustrated in Figure 4.

In order to hold these halves in alignment with each other I haveprovided a pair of dowel pins 14:, see Figure 3, those in one of thehalves being adapted to extend into corresponding holes in the otherhalf so that when these halves are brought together they will be inproper position and in absolute ali nment with each other.

I have also provided a downwardly extending hub or boss 15 on the bottomof the tray, said hub being in halves and each half being connected toits corresponding half or" the tray whereby when placed together" onecomplete circular boss is provided.

In order to bind these tray halves together I have provided a pair oflong handle gripping-pliers 16, see Figure 10, the headlof which iscurved or recessed as at 17, tofit aboutthe hub 15 and when sopositioned the sliding lock-ring 18 is moved along the handle intoposition to lock the handle members of the pliers in position to gripandbind the hub halves and-so firmly secure the tray halves together. Atthe same time. the handle of these pliers serves as a convenientmanipulating handle for thetra'y and by mounting these plier members onthe circular hub they perform two functions first, the pliers bind thetray halves together; and second, they serve as a convenient means .formanipulating the tray. It will also be seen by this construction thatthe handle of these pliers may be moved or swung about on the circularhub which serves as a pivot and so set the handle in any desiredposition relative to the tray to extend from either end thereof, wherebyit may be applied to either side of either jaw of a patient or it may bepositioned to extend directly in front at substantially a right angle tothe walls of the tray so that the tray may be readily applied to thefront portion of either jaw of the patient for taking an impression.

In forming this hub 151 have made the same slightly tapering that is, alittle larger at its outer or free end, than that portion where it joinsthe bottom of the tray so that when the handle is applied to the hub itwill not slip off even when loosened up to be swung about to thedifferent required positions relativeto the tray.

In some instances it:is1found to be of advantagetobe able to form thesetray parts of sheet metal and to bendthe same up into the desired shapeby a swaging process.

' In order to accomplish this in a simple and effective way and reducethe expense of construction, to the minimum, I first strike the trayhalves so as to raise the outer wall 11 and also the central rib 12, seeFigure 5, Ithen slit this rib in one of the halves and bend the slitportions so as to extend laterally providing dowel portions 20 which areadapted to fit into corresponding recesses 21 in the opposite halves ofthe tray, as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.

I may also form the hub member 15 intwo separate parts, one half beingprovided with a laterally-extending boss or tongue 22 while the otherhalf is provided with a cormembers are engaged by the adjustable handle16 for binding the: tray parts together. V c

My improved sectional impression tray is extremely simple and,practical. in constructionand effective in its operation. and by its useimpressions of teeth may be readily taken from either side of either, jawor from. the front portion of either jaw by simply adjustingtheposition of the handle on the tray, and after the impression has beentaken it is only necessary'to slide the little binding collar 18 of thehandle downwardly toireleasethehub members of the tray, then aninstrument is simply inserted into the crease between the halves and bya slight twist the halves are forcedapart and the mold will separatecentrally and may be readily removed from the jaw without in any wayinjuring the impression obtained.

The foregoing description is directed solely toward the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting'to all the mechanical changes to which the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined and claims.

I claim: 7

1; A dental tray comprising two: halves adapted to be bodily removed onefrom the other each having cleavage-controlling rib portion locatedalong the lineof separa-. tion, means. forpaligningsaid halves whensetftogether, and a projecting-, memberon each" half releasablyengagedby an operatinghandleto;bindithe'halvestogether.

2. A dental tray: comprising two halves adapted tombs-bodily removed onefromthe other andjeach having a: cleavage-controlling rib portionlocated along: the line of separation," projecting liub halves on: saidtray halves, and alhandlemeniber. having adjustable gripping means for.engaging said hub membersto bind said tray parts togethen. 7

3; A dental tray comprising two separable' halves, eaehhaving a cleavagecontrol ling-"rib portionlocated along the line of separation,projecting members on each half,

and a. handle member! having adjustable gripping means for engagingsaid. proj ecting members to bind the tray parts together, said" handlebeing rotatably 'c'onnectedto said members and adapted to eX-' limitedonly by, the terms of the appended tend in different directions relativeto the clamping jaws for gripping said hub halves tray. to bind the trayhalves together, and means 4:. A dental tray comprising two separaforlocking said jaws onto said hub halves, 10 ble halves each having acleavage-controlsaid handle belng adjustable circularly 5 ling ribportion located along the line of about said hub.

separation, projecting hub halves on said In testimony whereofI afiix msignature. tray halves, a handle comprising a pair of WILLIAM N. IDDER.

